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Bendamustine is a well tolerable and very active agent in the treatment of Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, in particular in aggressive B-cell lymphoma, only very few, small studies have investigated the role of bendamustine in the treatment algorithm. The aim of the current B-R-ENDA trial is to investigate efficacy and toxicity of the combination treatment of bendamustine and subcutaneous rituximab in old patients or in elderly patients with high comorbidity who do not qualify for a CHOP like treatment. The results of this study will form the basis of a larger, prospective randomized phase III trial.

Condition or disease

Intervention/treatment

Phase

Aggressive Lymphoma

Drug: Bendamustine and subcutaneous rituximab

Phase 2

Detailed Description:

Bendamustine is a well tolerable and very active agent in the treatment of Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, in particular in aggressive B-cell lymphoma, only very few, small studies have investigated the role of bendamustine in the treatment algorithm. The aim of the current B-R-ENDA trial is to investigate efficacy and toxicity of the combination treatment of bendamustine and subcutaneous rituximab in old patients or in elderly patients with high comorbidity who do not qualify for a CHOP like treatment. The results of this study will form the basis of a larger, prospective randomized phase III trial.

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Ages Eligible for Study:

60 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Histology: Diagnosis of aggressive CD20+, confirmed by an excisional biopsy of a lymph node or by a sufficiently extensive biopsy of an extranodal involvement if there is no lymph node involvement. It will be possible to treat the following entities in this study as defined by the new WHO classification of 2008: B-NHL, Follicular lymphoma grade IIIb,DLBCL, not otherwise specified (NOS),common morphologic variants: centroblastic,immunoblastic,anaplastic,rare morphologic variants.DLBCL subtypes/entities:T cell/histiocyte rich large B-cell lymphoma, primary cutaneous DLBCL, leg type, EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly, DLBCL associated with chronic inflammation, primary mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma, intravascular large B-cell lymphoma,ALK-positive large B-cell lymphoma, Plasmoblastic lymphoma, Primary effusion lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features inter¬mediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features inter¬mediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma

Stage: Any stages according to Ann Arbor Classification

Risk group: All risk groups (IPI 1 to 5)

Life expectancy Life expectancy of at least 6 weeks, when lymphoma is treated

Age: Age elder than 81 or Age 61 to 80 and CIRS >6 not qualifying for CHOP-therapy

Gender: any

Performance status: Performance status ECOG 0 - 3. The performance status of each patient is to be assessed at the time of registration which might be after the initiation of pre-phase treatment which, as experience has shown, can result in a significant improvement of the patient´s performance status. A definition of the performance status is provided in Appendix 25.6

Ability to give informed consent

Written informed consent of the patient

Contract of participation signed by the study center and sponsor

Exclusion Criteria:

Already initiated lymphoma therapy (except for the prephase treatment until first application of rituximab)